Aquaponics and its many advantages have been covered well in other topics. Now that you feel like you have gotten a handle on the basic aquaponics system, its time to give up the passive aquaponics and move up a level. This article gives you good directions on building your intermediate level homemade aquaponics system using an aquarium [ acquarium ] or other hardware that may be lying around
There are several ways to build yourself a homemade aquaponics system. The simplest is perhaps the aquarium aquaponics system. Some of you may have tried your hand at pet fish or lizards and they died within two weeks right. Well, here is a good use for the aquarium that was shoved into your closet.Besides this, you will need for your aquaponics system one sheet of plastic or board to hold your plants (whatever it is it will need to float on the water), plastic cups, some growing medium, an aquarium air pump and oxygen stone. This isn’t part of the aquaponics system, but don’t forget your nutrient solution, and ph test kit.
Okay, now that you’ve assembled your materials for the aquaponics system, cut the plastic sheet/board to slightly smaller than the aquarium. After this you need to cut the holes in the plastic sheet/board to hold the cups your plants will rest in.
Depending on the thickness of the sheet and what its made of you may need to use a saw to cut the holes. It’s very important before you cut the holes that you measure them to be slightly smaller than the top of the plastic cup, that way it will hang down low enough for the bottom part of the cup to be resting in the water that will fill your aquarium. Also you will want to make a small ‘U’’ shaped indentation in one side of the sheet for the plastic tubing of the air pump to run into the aquarium through. Poke several small holes into the bottoms sides of your plastic cups and widen them to around a quarter of an inch in diameter. It is time to assemble.
Fill your aquarium with the water and nutrient solution. Hook up your air pump and oxygen stone and place the stone in the bottom of the aquarium. Turn it on and make sure it works. Do not put the air pump into the water! You should have the oxygen stone in the aquarium attached to a plastic tube which leads out of the aquarium and attaches to the air pump. Now you can fill your plastic cups with a growing medium. My favorite is vermiculite, because its good at wicking water up to the plant roots. Plant your seedlings or seeds in the medium. Slide the plastic sheet/board into the aquarium and place each of the plastic cups in their holes.
This completes your homemade aquaponics system which you can use to grow leafy greens such as lettuce, mustard, or even herbs. When the water level is low you can simply refill it with water and nutrient solution. Good Building and good luck.